Between its block party roots and its club-centered present, hip hop was for a long time a music not meant for dancing. In the days of way back your De La Souls and Tribe Called Quests were all about easygoing flows and bumping, soulful beats. On the other hand your N.W.A.’s or Ice-T’s were simply out for blood with bass-rattling drum machines and rage-filled raps. It was music to lounge to, to make you think or give you a cheap laugh, to get out some pent-up aggression or just put in the background. Maybe in the right mood you could dance to it, but it wasn’t dance music.

Considering that Dr. Dre started out his career with the World Class Wreckin Cru, which mostly played jams for people to get down, it’s not really that surprising that a song like “Something 2 Dance 2″ can be found as a last song on the classic Straight Outta Compton. But it really doesn’t fit with the overall mood of the record. A popping electro number, produced by The Arabian Prince (who was never really a proper member of the group) it acts as a goofy counterpoint to the album preceding it, but that D-Train sample would probably get even the grimiest G on the floor.

N.W.A.: Something 2 Dance 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?olmjtjyjzel

De La Soul were pretty much the antithesis of the gun-toting gangstas of N.W.A., but they weren’t big on dance music either. Sure, Me, Myself and I was a dancefloor filler, but it seems De La still looked down on music that was just made for dancing (see: Kicked Out the House on De La Soul is Dead). That didn’t stop them from making “A Rollerskating Jam Named Saturdays”, a disco-y song driven by a Mighty Ryeders sample and perfect for getting the party started. DJ’s should keep their eye out for the 7”, 12” or CD-single-cut which features about a gazillion different versions, even a David Morales deep house version of the song.

De La Soul: A Rollerskating Jam Named Saturdays: http://www.mediafire.com/?mgqjhzymnid

Special Bonus Beats!!! “Evil Vibrations”, the primary sample of “Saturdays” was very competently covered by New Birth for the excellent Rewind-series of cover compilations. It’s one of those versions that very nearly eclipses the original.

New Birth: Evil Vibrations: http://www.mediafire.com/?tyj3mqtdmqj

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